Shelving



2 Sheets-Sheet 1.

0 oeoeoooo o Patented June '19, 1894.

SHELVING.

(No Model.)

' A. RWAGNER & E. LIESENHOFF.

lNVENTOfiS.

ATTORNEY.

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(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 2. v A. B. WAGNER & E. LIESENHOFF.

SHELVING.

Patented June 19, 1894.

WITNESSES:

m2 NATIONAL Lmmmurumn ODMFANY vlAnHmm'oN. n. c.

UNITED STATES PATENT Genres.

ALFRED WAGNER AND EDWARD LIESENHOFF, on MIAMISBURG, OHIO.

SHELVING.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 521,626, dated June 19,1894. Application filed March 7, 1894. Serial No. 502.632- (No model.)

.To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that we, ALFRED B. WAGNER /and EDWARD LIESENHOFF, ofMiamisburg,

county of Montgomery, State of Ohio, have invented a new and usefulImprovement in Shelving; and we do declare the following to be a full,clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enableothers skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use thesame, reference being had to the accompanyin g drawings, and to theletters of reference marked thereon, which form a part'of thisspecification.

Our invention relates to new and useful improvements in shelving.

The object of the invention is to furnish a system of shelving that maybe lowered or raised in a body, or that will enable the tiers of shelvesto be parted at any desired plane,

to admit of free access to the shelves of any one of said tiers, withoutdisturbing the goods on the shelves of the remaining tiers; a furtherobject is to provide easy andconvenient means for adjusting or effectinga division of the tiers of shelves either collectively or individually.

Our improved system. of shelving is generally useful in stores where thefrequent removal and replacement of goods thereon, is necessary as itenables the goods to be classified, and avoids the necessity of placingtwo or more varieties of goods upon one shelf. It is a well recognizedfact among salesmen in clothing stores, for example, that it oftenbecomes necessary to remove the bottom article from a shelf; thisdisarranges the entire lot, and in order to place them in theirformerposition, the lot has to be removed from the shelf, by the use of ourinvention this unnecessary labor may be avoided, and to this end Similarletters of reference 'will denote corresponding parts throughout thedifferent views.

A designates the counter or table to which the actuating mechanism isattached and 'which has openings (a) in the top thereof.

(0.) is a guide and bearing plate rigidly attached to the top of thetable adjacent to said openings, which will be again referred to.

A represents cross-pieces suitably secured to and beneath the table.

B designates guide-pieces with bifurcated ends, rigidly attached in, avertical position to the center of their supports A.

C denotes vertically movable bars, provided with openings (1))throughout their length; these bars extend through the openings (at) inthe table, and are outwardly and inwardly inclosed by the bifurcatedends of the guides B, and the plates (a) whereby said bars aremaintained in a vertically movable position.

C is a bar arranged horizontally beneath the table and rigidly to thelower ends of the vertical bars 0, and which together with said verticalbars comprise the shelf carriage.

-(c) designates slots in the upper surface of the bar 0, the upperterminals of which are inclosed by a bar (0) rigidly attached to saidbar.

D and D designate cam levers, placed horizontally from front to rear ofthe table, and beneath said table; these levers have bearings in thetable as shown in Fig. 3.

E and E are cog wheels, keyed to the front ends of the cam levers, and Findicates a hand lever attached to the outer end of lever D by means ofwhich the power to rotate the dotted lines, the extent of the angle ofsaid cam portion.

Referring now to the specific construction of the shelving operated bythe foregoing mechanism; I-I designates a series of brackets preferablyconstructed of metal having bifurcated portions, or ears 6 projectingfrom the center making a slot for the vertical bars 0 to fit and movein; these brackets are also provided with horizontal openings extendingthrough the ears (e) the function of which is similar to that of theopenings in the bars 0 and will be hereinafter referred to.

I designates a series of cross-pieces constructed preferably of hardwood and rigidly attached to the brackets H.

J indicates metal rods which pass through openings in the ends of thecross-pieces I and are supported thereon. K represents a series ofshelves supported on said rods and secured 1 claimthereto. Of course itwill be understood that the parts comprising these shelves may be tionof the cam-levers, the horizontal bar varied to suit the uses to whichthe shelves are to be put. Those shown in Fig. 5 are especially designedfor holding clothing and are constructed of cloth supported on a wireframe conforming to the shape thereof; they may be made of stout pasteboard, wood or any suitable material.

L and L represent levers constructed of sheet metal having the requiredstrength, and hinged to each other at (o) and pivoted to metal plates(0) rigidly attached to the front one of the rods J.

(m) is an angular rod secured to the rods J, which has a slot forming aguide for the hinged ends of the lovers L and L; the other ends of theselevers pass through and are movably supported in slots (1') in one endof the cross-pieces I.

N and N are push rods pivoted to and supported on the outer ends of thelovers L and L and having their rearward ends normally resting in theopening in the forward one of the ears (6) of the brackets H; rod Nprojects forwardly beyond the shelf frame, and is provided with a fingerpiece by which it may be pushed in or pulled out. The function of thesepush rods and adj unctive devices is to engage or release the brackets Hupon which the shelving is supported, with or from the vertical bars 0.It will be understood that when the push rod N is operated eitherinwardly or outwardly, a corresponding movement is imparted to itscounterpart N by reason of the levers L and L turning on the hinge, andsliding in the slot at that point, and also turning on their pivots onplates (0') which results either in the push rods penetrating theopenings in the bracket ears and vertical bars 0, or in being withdrawntherefrom. Thus it will be seen that the brackets supporting themechanism of one tier of shelves may be released from the bars 0 or anydesired number of tiers may be, and those only that are attached to, orare released from 1 said bars, but are resting upon a lower set ofbrackets that are attached to said bars,'are affected by the movement ofsaid bars.

Looking at Fig. 6, it will be noted that the brackets supporting thelowest tier of shelves, when released from the bars C, will rest uponthe plate (a') and if the remainder of the brackets were released fromsaid bars 0, they would be supported one upon the other, and the bars 0would move freely between the ears of said brackets when actuated by thecam-levers, without affecting the shelving.

The normal space between the tiers of shelves may be arranged as may bedesired.

The operation of elevating or lowering the shelving carriage isperformed through the agency of the hand lever F and the cam-levers Dand D.

Having fully described our invention, We

1. In an adjustable shelving, the combinawith slots, adapted to beactuated by said cam-levers, vertical bars with openings therein,rigidly attached to said horizontal bar, a

series of shelf-frames, and a series of brackets supporting said frames,and means for connecting said brackets with or releasing them from thevertical bars, substantially as described.

2. In an adjustable shelving, the combination of the slotted horizontalbar, vertical bars with openings therein, and guides, for said verticalbars to move in,a series of brackets with openings therein, a series ofslotted cross-pieces to which said brackets are attached, and upon whichthe shelvingframes are supported", push-rods adapted to penetrate theopenings in said brackets and vertical bars, connections between saidpush rods whereby the movement of one will correspondingly move theother, and means for operating the vertical bars.

3. The combination with the horizontal bar 0', the vertical bars 0provided with openings, rigidly attached thereto; of the slottedcross-pieces I, adapted to support the shelf frames, the brackets Hrigidly attached to said cross-pieces, said brackets provided with slotsfor the bars 0 to move in, and openings, the levers L and L, and thepush rods N and N adapted to enter the openings in the brackets H andbars 0, to secure them to each other, and means for raising or loweringthe bars (3 and C, as herein described.

4. The combination of the horizontal bar 0 with slots therein,thevertical bars 0 provided with openings and guides, attached to the bar0', cam levers adapted to work in the 5. The combination of theverticalbars 0 provided with openings the cross-pieces I,

ICC

and rods J supported thereon, said crosspieces and rods comprising theshelf frame, the brackets H provided with ears with openings therein,the levers L and L having their fulcrum on the shelf frame, the pushrods N and N attached to said levers and adapted to enter the openingsin the brackets and vertical bars, as herein described.

ALFRED B. WAGNER. EDWARD LIESENHOFF.

/ Witnesses:

R. J. MCCARTY, C. A. ALEXANDER.

